


Family Bonding

by Lacebird



Category: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 05:51:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10961025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacebird/pseuds/Lacebird
Summary: A take on Souji’s relationship with his parents after he got married with Ian.





	Family Bonding

“We're home!”

“Oh! Welcome back. Did you have fun today?” Souji asked, as Reiko and Ian entered the apartment.

“We did! Ian showed me around and we went for shopping! Your husband really knows where to get the finest goods. We bought a lot of clothes, including some for you.”

“You're being too nice Reiko. As expected from a renowned fashion-designer, you have an impeccable eye when it comes to picking clothes!” Ian told his mother in law. Then, he turned to Souji and added: “Your mom is awesome! You'll look very handsome in what we picked for you.”

Souji let out a small “thank you”. Judging by all the shopping bags they were holding, they had bought a lot of clothes... maybe too many... and probably all too flashy... But Souji decided not to comment on that, thinking he should be grateful his mom and husband were sharing an interest in fashion since it relieved him of having to accompany her at shopping sessions.

Reiko had come to London for business and she had some spare time, so she decided to pay a visit to his son and his husband. Since this wasn't planned in advance, Souji hadn't been able to take the day off, but Reiko had sounded keen on spending it with Ian instead. Those two were getting along very well, maybe a bit too much. Souji often felt like he was getting bullied, like when they were eating together and those two kept exchanging all kinds of embarrassing information and stories about him. That night's dinner was no exception.

“The thing Souji misses the most from Japan is definitely melon cream soda...”

“He really likes it, right? As a kid, he was so into drinking melon soda that his dad would scold him and go 'This thing is full of crap! It's not a drink for real men!'”

“It does sound like him...”

“Because of that, we always ended up going for melon cream soda whenever Sou-chan had time off from sword practice.... which didn't happen really often...”, Reiko said, looking pensive. “I remember this one _Tanabata_ in which Souji asked for melon cream soda. And when he got it on the next day, he went all _'Mom, Tanabata wishes really come true!'_ and looked so happy.”

“Aaaw, it sounds like you were such a cute boy”, Ian told his husband with an impish look.

“Souji was the most adorable kid! And I still see him as such.”

“You two are so embarrassing...”  
Souji glared at them and focused on eating, pretending to ignore the heat growing in his cheeks.

“It's because we love you, _Sou-chan_ ”, Ian said teasingly and Souji was completely blushing at that point.

*

After dinner, they kept talking for a while and drank coffee in the living room. At some point, Ian excused himself for the night. He had a deadline for a paper coming soon and wanted to work a bit before going to sleep. An awkward silence reigned between the mother and son as they sipped their drinks. Suddenly, Reiko broke it.

“Your dad is asking how you are doing.”

“...”

“He hasn't seen you for so long. You and Ian should come visit him sometime.”

“... As if he cared.”

“You know he does!”

“If he really did, why didn't he come to our wedding last year?” Souji said, his voice sounding more hurt and louder than he intended.

“You know him... He's just ridiculously stubborn and proud, and so are you. But he really cares about you...”, Reiko said, holding Souji by the shoulders.

She looked hurt and desperate for Souji to listen to her. It was ironic that the woman abandoning his dad was the one to ask him to reconnect with him. But that was surely why she was so intent about it. She understood them both and knew how painful it was to let incomprehension drive you away from the ones you love.

Still, Souji thought his dad was the one being unfair there. He was still mad at his dad for not coming for the most important event of his life, and for not sounding the least happy for him and Ian. But here wasn't the place to argue about it, his mom wasn't the one to blame, she was just trying to help after all. And his dad had took the effort to ask about him, so maybe Souji should reach out for the hand he was holding out for him.

“I know... I'll think about it.”, Souji muttered.

He took a sip of milk coffee that tasted way too sweet in contrast to the bitterness he was feeling then.

 

* * *

 

“Here”, Ian said as he put a cup of tea on the low table next to couch on which Souji was reading. Souji answered a small “thank you” without taking away his eyes from his book. Ian sat next to him and started sipping his own drink. As the smell of coffee reached Souji's nose, he glanced at Ian. Then he moved closer to his husband and snuggled against him. Ian's stroked his back softly and dropped a kiss on his hair.

“I'm thinking of going to Japan next time I can take time off... To pay my dad a visit.”

Ian didn't answer immediately. He glanced at Souji with an unreadable expression, then he took a long sip of coffee.

“It sounds great. I'll come with you.”

“... You don't have to. I know you don't like my dad very much.”

“I don't hate him. It's true our last encounter wasn't the most pleasant one... But he's your dad, so I want to get along better with him.”

“...”

Ian put his coffee cup on the table and took Souji's face in his hands.

“Don't frown like that. It'll be fine. And if things get heated up or he doesn't want me around, I'll just get a hotel.”

Ian's palms were warm and comforting and his fingers stroked Souji's cheek gently. He dropped a kiss at the corner of Souji's eye and went on: “I don't want you to go by yourself. I know how much you care about your dad and how worried you must be about seeing him again, so I want to be there for you then.”

Souji nuzzled against Ian's hands.

“Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

They came to Japan a couple of months later, in the middle of summer. Genryu had offered to pick them up at the airport but since their flight was arriving pretty early in the morning they kindly refused and reached the Rippukan estate by their own means. The din of cicadas and the dampness in the air made them aware that they really were in Japan and somehow it helped Souji relax, knowing that he was back to his homeland.

“Oh, Souji... Ian, welcome!” Genryu said, as he met them near the entrance. He seemed about to reach out for his son's shoulder but stopped his hands before he did. Souji stood in front of him, without moving from an inch.

“Thank you for having us around,” Ian greeted their host politely. They brought the suitcases inside with Souji not having said a word.

“I didn't know if you wanted to stay in the same room or use separate ones, so I prepared the guest room but you can also use your old room, Souji.”

“Of course we want to stay in the same room! We're-”

Ian gently touched Souji's back to calm him down.

“Thank you for taking the trouble to prepare a room for us. We'll leave our luggage in the guest room for now.

After unpacking their things, they took a snack and a shower. Then Ian left for the day, with the pretext of having people to see. Souji knew it was to give him some time alone with his dad.

Genryu and his son went straight to the dojo in which they trained together. Souji had missed it, the feeling of the wooden floor under his bare feet, the slight wind coming from outside, the sound of wooden swords cutting through the air or clashing together. He had found a dojo in which to train in London, but it wasn't the same. Training at the Rippukan dojo felt right.

The father and son didn't say anything during the whole training session. They didn't need to, their sparring was much more eloquent. Once they were done, they sat on the veranda and looked silently at the garden.

“Your sword shows as much determination as it did back then... maybe even more.”

After saying those words, Genryu put a hand on his son's shoulder and added: “Thank you for coming, my son.”

Souji gave him a shy smile.

“I'm home.”

*

The three of them had dinner together. It was mostly silent, with only a few exchanges of small talk, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than it had been in the morning. Ian and Souji decided to go get prepared for bed right after dinner since it had felt like a very long day.

Souji entered the guest room where Ian was reading an old book about dinosaurs he probably found lying around. He came behind his husband and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Ian turned around and grabbed Souji's waist, burying his head in the soft cotton of his T-shirt.

“You smell good.”

“It's because I just took a bath. You should do the same.”, Souji answered while stroking Ian's hair.

“Just let me stay like that for a bit.”

Ian nuzzled against Souji. The younger man slid his arms around his husband's waist and kissed him on the forehead.

“Did you have a good time with your dad today?”

“Yes, it was pretty nice.”

“I'm glad.”

Ian lifted his head and gave Souji a light kiss on the lips before going take his bath. Souji skimmed through the book that Ian was reading earlier while waiting for him to come back, but he fell asleep before he did.

 

* * *

 

On the next morning, Souji joined the kendo practice at Rippukan dojo. He saw a lot of familiar faces and also a few new ones, but everybody seemed happy to have him around. He wasn't used to that level of practice anymore, but it still felt like a natural thing for him, as if his body remembered. The strain in his muscles wasn't a bad sensation at all.

Ian made them mentaiko pasta for lunch.

“You shouldn't have cooked, Ian, you're a guest here...” Genryu said, slightly embarrassed.

“Please don't worry about that, I like cooking,” Ian simply answered.

“It's delicious,” Genryu said, after eating some of it.

It really was. The creaminess of the sauce balanced out the slight spiciness of the fish roe. The small salad and miso soup accompanying it were also very tasty.

Souji and Ian both smiled, not expecting Genryu's genuine comment and delighted expression.

“Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Please let me know if you'd like to eat something in particular.”

“I wouldn't do that! As I said, you're my guest, you shouldn't-”

“It's fine dad,” Souji cut him. “I've been living alone with you for more than ten years, I know how terrible you are at cooking... Ian and I will take charge of the menu while we're staying here. We're happy to do it, actually.”

“...Fine,” Genryu surrendered. “By the way, Souji, could you give me a hand organizing the old storage room this afternoon?”

“Sorry, I promised I'd stop to my high school kendo club today. But I'm sure Ian can do it instead.”

“... I can't ask him to do that.”

“Actually, I'd love to help you if it doesn't bother you.”

Souji gave his dad a pointed look.

“Thank you for your offer Ian, it's a big help.”

 

Souji came home early in the evening and found his dad and his husband sitting at the living room's low table, looking at some sort of document while talking together.

“What are you doing”, he asked, as he came close to them.

“Oh, Souji, welcome home. Come here, Ian is telling me about the ukiyo-e prints and books we had in the cellar.”

Souji sat near them, putting the watermelon he was holding on the floor. He listened as Ian told his dad about the content of the pictures, their artists, the specificity of some techniques, and so on. Sometimes he asked Genryu questions about their family's ancestors to see if it confirmed some of his assumptions about the works. Souji wasn't surprised to see Ian so enthusiastic about the things he found in their house. Even if it wasn't his specific field of expertise, Ian knew a lot about Japanese art history and was really interested in it. Genryu also seemed genuinely pleased to learn from him. He was the most relaxed Souji saw him since they came here.

Since they didn't seem to be about to stop any time soon, Souji got up and brought the watermelon in the kitchen to cut it for them. He ate a slice before bringing the plate to the living room. It was sweet. The way Souji liked it.

 

When Souji came out of the bathroom on that night, he found Ian in his room, playing with his old dinosaur toys.

“Those brings back memories”, he said, sliding near Ian.

“You really have a lot,” Ian said, playing with a small velociraptor wooden figure.

“Yeah, I got a bit too passionate about it... it started when I saw 3D velociraptor puzzles at a store, back when we were fighting as Kyorugers, but before I knew it, my collection grew. You also gave me a lot of dinosaur souvenirs when we went on dates or when you came back from trips…”

Ian hummed in approval. He put the figure he was holding back on the table and gave Souji a hug.

“You were really cute back then.”

“Shut up.”

“Don't worry, I still think you are.”

“You're terrible...”

They laughed and were about to kiss when they heard footsteps and noticed Genryu coming into the room. They broke the hug immediately, looking at Souji's dad with embarrassed looks. Genryu coughed then talked.

“I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to go hiking in the mountain tomorrow.”

“... Sure! We'd love to! Right, Ian?”

“Yes, it sounds great!”

Silence fell into the room for a few seconds.

“Well, then, good night... We'll be leaving at 7.”

“Good night dad.”

Genryu left the room and once Souji couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, he hid his face against Ian's chest. Ian patted his head in a comforting way. They went to sleep soon after. Souji slept really well that night, snuggling against his husband.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Ian and Souji met with their fellow Kyoryuger friends at the Yuzuki residence. They had a picnic at the garden and caught up with one another while also reminiscing about the past.

Amy and Daigo's daughter had recently turned 3 years old. The last time they had seen her she was so small and now she had already became a cute little lady, as Ian said, giving her a daisy. Utsusemimaru was living with them, helping to look after the little girl when the two others weren't around, and doing various chores. He also helped Nobuharu regularly with his business.

As Ian played with the little girl, Amy sat by Souji who was watching them from a distance.

“He's good with kids”

Souji nodded silently. He really was. Ian would make a great dad, affectionate and funny, helping their kid to do their homework, teaching them about lots of things, cooking them delicious food. Souji was much less sure about himself... would he be able to do it correctly when he wasn't even able to be a proper son?

“You two balance each other pretty well. I'm sure you will make great dads when the time comes”, Amy said, as if she had read his mind.

Souji smiled and nodded.

 

* * *

 

The following days went on peacefully. They spent a lot of time just relaxing at home or walking around but also got to hang out with their friends regularly. Little by little Genryu let his guard down around Ian, asking him to tell him about old documents or to help him with little chores. It made Souji incredibly happy to see them being so close. The way his dad had attacked Ian with a wooden sword while telling him horrible things a few years ago almost felt like a lie now. His dad had been able to realize that Ian wasn’t only a flirty playboy but also a very kind and passionate man. Souji also felt that his dad came to understand how important he was to him.

Then came _Tanabata_. For the occasion they cut bamboo from the bamboo forest near their home and decorated it. They ate snacks and Japanese confectionaries while gazing at the milky way. The sky was very clear on that night.

Souji read his wish out loud as he finished writing it : “I want a new washing machine.”

“Really? Can't you think of something more exciting ?”

“But ours is really basic... I want one with more functions.”

“It sounds like you...”

“What did you wish for yourself, you seem so proud about it...”

Ian showed his wish to Souji who read it out loud : “ _'I wish to discover a new species of fossil and name it after Souji'_... Seriously Ian, you know what happened last time you wished for that... and don't name a fossil after me!”

“But... It'd be romantic.”

“Hum... You're right, my wish wasn't exciting enough, I should have asked for you to stop being an idiot...” Souji told Ian with a judging look.

“You're so cruel!”

Souji poked Ian's cheek and they laughed together. As they joked around, Souji noticed that his dad was hanging his own _tanzaku_ paper on a very high bamboo branch.

“Oh, what did you wish for, dad?”

His dad didn't answer but Souji's eyes caught the wish on the small piece of paper.

_'I wish to celebrate Tanabata with Ian and Souji again next year'_

“Dad...”, Souji murmured, his voiced meddled with emotion.

“It's a good wish”, Ian added with a gentle smile.

 

* * *

 

“Souji...”

“What is it dad?”

As Genryu and Souji were walking back from the dojo, the older man suddenly stopped in his steps and took his son by the shoulders, looking at him right in the eyes.

“I want you to inherit this dojo...”

For a second it felt like all sound around them had stopped and Souji felt the beating of his heart resonating in his ears.

“It doesn't have to be right now... but I want you to know that for me, you're the only one fit for it.”

“Dad...”

Souji felt his eyes getting teary.

“You proved to me many times that you're the one that knows which path can make you the happiest, so I can't force you if you don't want to-”

“What are you saying? Of course I want to! Nothing would make me happier.”

*

“My dad told me he wants me to inherit the dojo eventually...”

Souji said those words against Ian's chest, as they were lying in bed together.

“That's great Souji! It has always been your dream.”

Souji nodded but added: “Is it really fine though?”

“What do you mean? You're worried about me? You should know I don't mind moving to Japan, be it now or in a few years.”

“I know... it's not that.” He lifted his face to look at Ian's. “Is it really okay for me to inherit the dojo though? I mean... it could affect the reputation of the dojo... because... you know...

“Because of us being together...”

Souji nodded, a painful expression on his face.

Ian clapped his hands on Souji's cheeks.

“It's not like you to worry and run away from a challenge, Souji.”

“...”

“Nobody is more fit than you to run this dojo in the future. People who'd think the contrary because of who you've married are idiots. I'm sure your dad thinks the same.”

“Yeah... you're right...”

Ian gave Souji a very soft and tender kiss.

“And we're in this together. You know you can count on me.”

“I know... Thank you, Ian”

This time Souji was the one to press his lips against Ian's. They held each other very close and fell asleep like that.

 

* * *

 

Souji was looking through the window of the airplane. He was still emotional about saying goodbye to his dad. It had only been a two-week trip but thanks to it their broken relationship had started being functional again. Maybe he could start exchanging mails with his dad again and invite him to come to London in the future.

Souji felt Ian's hand over his and leaned heavily on his husband's shoulder, blinking back tears from his eyes.

 

* * *

 

“Don't eat so much, you'll get sick!”

“Leave me alone Reiko, it'd be a crime not to honor this delicious feast!”

Souji chuckled as he saw his parents bickering over dinner. They were staying at his place for the end of the year and tonight was Christmas Eve. For the occasion, Ian had made them recipes that were passed down in his family. Genryu especially appreciated the turkey. It was so moist and delicious.

“I'm looking forward to seeing The Nutcracker tomorrow!” Reiko said.

“I'm sure you'll enjoy it, it got excellent reviews. ” Ian, who had gotten tickets for the four of them, answered. Then he went on to how the staging was very innovative and the costumes would certainly please Reiko. The performance also starred a promising prima ballerina as Clara.

Genryu listened to the conversation with a perplexed look on his face. He didn't know a thing about ballet and seemed a bit mixed up about going to see one but Souji was sure he'd enjoy it in the end. It was the first time his dad had been in Europe and so far he had really enjoyed all the things they had done together. Visiting the London Natural History Museum with Ian as a guide sure was an awesome experience. Souji himself never got tired of it, his husband always managed to teach him things and bring new details to his attention. Genryu seemed to really respect Ian for his knowledge on various subjects, which made Souji kind of proud.  
After dinner, the four of them exchanged gifts near the Christmas Tree. They had decorated it a few days ago with origami ornaments they had made together. The myriad of colorful cranes, stars, dinosaurs, and flowers covering the tree gave a warm feeling to the whole living room.

“Oh, this is beautiful, thank you!”, Reiko told Ian and Souji as she unfolded the elegant silk scarf they had gotten her.

Genryu also beamed at the silver pocket watch he received from them. Souji felt warm looking at his scene. It was the first time he was celebrating Christmas with both of his parents like that. They used to celebrate it when he was a kid but stopped when his mom left. Souji had started celebrating it again after he began dating Ian. At first, it was one of many romantic events for them but soon he understood that for Ian, Christmas had a special meaning and was meant as a family gathering. Because Souji's parents were coming over this time, they hadn't visited Ian's family, but it wasn't rare for them to go during the winter holidays. Every time they visited, Ian would have a warm smile on his face and sparkles in his eyes. He looked that way as well on that night, hugging Reiko as he thanked her for the bracelet she had gotten for him.

Souji noticed that his dad was looking at him intently as he was holding the gift he had gotten from him without opening it. It was thick, heavy and rectangular shaped. Maybe it was a book on swordsmanship or something along those lines? Souji unwrapped the package and revealed what looked like a photo album. The cover was green and elegant with “Souji's family album” engraved in golden letters on it.

He opened it and saw pictures of him as a kid with his parents. Some of them were familiar, like the one taken during Children's day when he was 5 years old and the three of them went to a local festival together. Souji was wearing a paper samurai hamlet and grinned broadly while holding his parents's hands. Souji let out a small laugh as he remembered about how he had eaten too many sweets on that day and his tummy had hurt the whole evening.

But there were also pictures he didn't remember about, like the one of him and his parents at the aquarium restaurant. He was sitting in between his parents and had a giant plate of sea-themed curry as well as his favorite melon soda standing in front of him. The three of them were smiling broadly. The truth is that this day hadn't gone that well. It was one of the rare family outings they did when he was in elementary school and his parents had spent the whole day bickering. In spite of the bitterness he had felt at the time, Souji remembered how happy he was with eating together as a family and gushing about the cute penguins made of rice standing on his curry plate. His mom had left home a few days after and that's probably why he had never seen this picture.

Souji kept turning the pages of the album. There weren't many pictures from his middle school days. His relationship with his dad wasn't the best back then so they wouldn't take pictures. But joining the Kyoryuger team in high school had helped him reunite with his dad and even his mom, so photos of the three of them filled the following pages of the album. There were also pictures of him and his sentai partners and... pictures of him alone with Ian, lots of them. Souji shot his dad a perplexed smile. Genryu scratched his head while looking embarrassed.

“I had Ian and Reiko help me gather pictures.”

Souji nodded and kept going through the album. As he did, the number of pictures of him and Ian kept increasing. There were even pictures of their wedding and honeymoon trip. Souji felt something wet roll on his cheeks as big tears dropped on the album. He swept them away from the page and kept going. The album ended with pictures they took when they visited his dad in the Summer. A lot of them were taken by Ian, some of them at times when he had no idea Ian was around. The last one was from _Tanabata_ and looked beautiful. Souji was hanging his wish on the bamboo tree while his dad was looking warmly at him.

He closed the album, and stood there, the face in tears.

“Dad... I... Thank you.”

His dad hugged him, Reiko and Ian joined soon after.

 

* * *

  

**Epilogue**

Genryu was enjoying the nice spring weather, reading on the veranda, when a small hand grabbed the sleeve of his kimono. He turned around and saw the little girl standing in front of him handing him a daisy bouquet.

“This is for you, grandpa,” she said, a big smile on her face and her curly blond hair waving along the slight breeze.

Genryu smiled at her, took the bouquet and patted her head.

“Thank you sweetheart. It's lovely”

She giggled and gave her grandpa a hug.

“Flora! This is where you were! Stop bothering your grandpa!”, Souji said, running toward them in his hakama.

“I'm not!” she protested.

“She's not bothering me,” Genryu confirmed. “She gave me a beautiful bouquet.”

They both grinned at him and the burst into laughter. Souji looked at them with a perplexed look.

“Don't worry papa, I'll make you one too!” Flora said “and one for when daddy comes back from work!”

Souji sat with them and kissed his daughter on the nose.

“Thank you, I'm the luckiest papa!” he said, smiling softly at the little girl.

“You are,” she boasted.

He really was.


End file.
